TOTAL

Cracker in Carling to be shut down on 5 October

LANXESS

Half of rubber carve-out to be sold to Aramco / Joint Venture set to start in Q1 2016 / First back integration for German producer / Farther-reaching Middle East projects envisaged

POLYETHYLENE

New production era for mass plastics begins / European refineries on the brink of extinction / Feedstock base lost / Global competition increasingly relegates Europe to second class / High time for discussions on how to react

TOTAL

Three new shale gas exploration licenses purchased in the UK / En route to becoming country's second largest oil and gas producer

M. HOLLAND

US group sets up Mexican distribution joint venture with Grupo Solquim / “Platform for aggressive growth plans”

PLASTRIBUTION

Appointed core distributor of Total's PS, PP and PE in England, Wales and Scotland

TOTAL

Ongoing torch activity at Feyzin refinery complex / Impact on cracker unclear

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

PP: Total lifts force majeure / Availability of select grades to remain tight until September

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

HDPE: Ineos declares force majeure in Rosignano and Sarralbe

ROSNEFT

Russian oil giant raises international profile / Securing stakes in German refineries / Share in ChemChina acquired

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

PVC: Kem One to resume VCM production this week / PVC to follow “shortly afterwards”

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

PVC: Kem One FM remains in place / Still no C2 deliveries from Lavéra

TOTAL

Updates on forces majeures / Availability of most PP grades still restricted / FM for Gonfreville HDPE could be lifted by month's end

KEM ONE

VCM and PVC chain unlikely to restart before early July “at best” / Update on FM in Lavera

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

Kem One declares force majeure for PVC / Fire at Napthachimie's Lavéra cracker cuts feedstock flow / Unclear if Ineos HDPE plant is affected

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

Total resumes HDPE production in Gonfreville / FM still in place during start-up period / European HDPE availability remains tight

POLYMER PRICES

Standard Thermoplastics Trend May 2015: Renewed significant hikes for polyolefins / PVC also rising steeply / Styrenics take a breather at impressive high / Situation only expected to improve by end of the quarter

SHELL

Fire takes out cracker in Wesseling

GLOBAL CLOSURE SYSTEMS

Licence with UAE plastic packaging firm boosts presence in Middle East / Demand rising for closure systems in Gulf region

TOTAL

Raised temperature HDPE grade enhances pipe productivity / Adopted in Poland and China

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

Total announces force majeure for polypropylene due to shortage of C3 in Antwerp / Allocation quotas uncertain

TOTAL

Mechanical properties of PE improved by “Dymalink” additive

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

Total announces force majeure for Antwerp cracker

RENMATIX

Total acquires shares in biotech company / Industrial sugar for bio-products

TOTAL

Two French refineries to be revamped / La Mède will become the country's first biorefinery